Bell-ringing apparatus.



W. H. DURFEE. BELL RINGING AP PARATUs. APPLICATION FILED APR.22, 1911.

Patented July 30,

1,03%,GOL

4 SHEET SSHEET 1;

WITNESSES.

VENTOR A TT RN K W. H. DURFEE, BELL RINGING APPARATUS. APPLIOATIOH FILED APILZZ, 1911. 1,034,001, Patented July 30, 1912 4 SHEETS-SHBET 2 WITNESSES.-

.W..H. DURFEE.

BELL RING-111G APPARATUS.

APPLIOATIQN FILED APR.22, 1911 1,034,00L Patented July so, 1912.

4 SHEETSSHEET s.

WIZ'NESSES: INVENTOR.

A TTORNEI QMIB ITM VM WALTER H.

DUBFEE, 0F PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

BELL-RINGING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 22, 1911.

Patented July 331, 1912..

Serial No. 622,793.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, IVALTER II. Dunrnn, a. citizen of the United States, residing in Providence, county of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, have invented an Improveinent in Bell-Ringing Apparatus, of which the following dcscriptioinin connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to musical sound producin apparatus of that character in which a series or plurality of musical tones ,are produced by striking upon bells.

The present invention hasftor its object to- 'provide apparatus, of the character described, in which provision is made forepcrating the same electrlcally, whereby the hell ringing apparatus may be located at one point, such as in the beltry of a church or in the towers of other buildings, and be operated from a distant point, such for instance, as the choir of the church or from the ground floor of the other bulldmgs. Provision is also made for rendering the apparatus sensitive, whereby the bells may be struck successively in short intervals of time. Provision is also made for converting hand-operated apparatus of the character described into electrically-operated apparatus at a minimum expense. Provision is further made for enabling the apparatus to be operated by, currents of substantially high potential with the liability of fire reduced to a minimum. These and other fea- .tures of this invention will. be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one construction of bell ringing apparatus embodying' this invention. Fig. 2, an end elemtion with parts broken away of the apparatus shown in 1, looking toward the left. Fig. 3, a horizontal section on the line 3 3, Fi 1. Fig. 4-, a diagrammatic View to illustrate the operation of the apparatus. Fig, 5, a modification to be referred to.

t3 and 7 details of a key-board for controlling the apparatus sl yown in Fig. 1, and 3, detail in section ot one of the stai'iioa ary contact members of the keyboard to be referred to.

The-invention is herein .shown as em bodied inan apparatus in which a series of tubular bells 10 are employed, which are suspended. at their upper ends from a sup porting frame. In the present instance, I have shown one construction of supporting frame, which comprises front uprlght corner posts 12, 13, and rear upright corner posts 14, 15, separated from one another. The corner posts 12, 13, are connected together by suitable tie bars 16, 17, and thecorner posts 14, 15, are connected by like tie bars 18, 19. The corner posts 12, 1a, are also connected by end cross bars 20, herein shownas six in number (see Fig. 2), and the corner posts 13 15, are connected by like cross bars 21. In the present instance, fitteen tubular bells 10 are employed, eight being arranged at what may be termed the front of the apparatus, and seven at the rear of the apparatus. Each tubular bell is suspended at its upper end by a cord or rope 22, passed through it and provided with eyes, which engage the hooked lower ends of bolts 23, seeuredto one otthe cross bars 16.- Inasmuch as the operating mechanisms for all the bells are-alike in construction, a

detailed description of one will sutlice to enable the invention to be understood.

The operating mechanism herein shown, comprises a striker or hammer 24 (see Fig. 2) pivoted at its lower end as at 25, and connected at its upper end by a link 26 to one arm of a bell crank lever 27, which is pivoted at its center as at 29 to a bracket or lug 30, fastened to the underside of a 1011- gitudinally extended bar 31, secured to and supported by the uppermost transversely extended cross bars 20. The lever 27 has its other arm joined by wire, rod or other substantially rigid connection 32 with a lever 33, which is connected'by a wire, rod. or like connection 3 1 with the core or armature 35 of a solenoid orelectromagnet 36, resting upon a suitable support or platform 37, located between the front and rear sides of tlic supporting frame and resting upon Figs. 1 and 2 framework and is pivoted at; 40 to a bracket or clip 1-1 on a longitudinally extended cross bar 41;? snpporlcd at its ends by the transverse cross bar 20, said lcror 'arnring at its free and a. weight y which conntcrbalances or subrrantiall (iulmlci'lmlzHHTOS ht; of the corn of tho Solenoid. The I may lr atljustahle on the lcrcr and secured in its adjusted position by tho'.- ;ct screw 45. The countcrhalancc for tho so- .lcnoid co 6. cnablrs the Sliiilitl or hannnnr B4: to lo itiurncd sulial'antlally in. an instant to its starting position, i'iaincly against; a back sto it (soc Fig. L), by a spring lo. Provision is also niadc or rcducing to a, inininunn and substantially prcrcnting o;-: cillatlion ol tho lovvr 12 and. rcoouzul ot the hainnicr or striker it, and. to this cnd, thc core 35 of the olenoid has attachcd to it a rod :30 (scc Fig t), which extend through weigh the platl rn'i or support 2' tor tho wlcnoid, and prclioral'ily through a guiding; dialt or collar at secured to the undcraidc tlna'cojt', and is noritlctl with a stop, pi l crabl v in the torn; ol a nut .73 on tho thrcadcd lowcr 0nd o1 Said rod l gn'ctcr to 3' nut a. washer ol' lcai'hcr,

taco upon thc lclt or othcr sonnd-dciulcning nia nd to cuahion the blow of the .7 10-11115 against the ,qnnh. g

In. opcration with the apparatus as thus far doscribcd, tho sirili'crs or hannncrs normally rcst against their back stops 1?, the levers 33 arc in their horizontal position, the solenoid corcs an arc in their clcrat'cd position, and the stops a2 and their cushions 5 lcngage the guiding disks or collars 51. W'l'ien it. is desircd to strike ono of the tnbular bolls, the circnitincluding t'lic solc noid for the particular bcll is closed. The solenoid energized and attracts its corc, which through thc conncctiona with the bell crank lover 27 turns the latter and moves the .strihar or hannncr :t'orward into contact With the boll with a sharp blow. The circuit of the solenoid, thcn o iicncd, and by reason of the core 35 being balanced or sub stantially balanced, the striker rclurncd substantially in an instant? to its normal or starting position against? the back stop 47. On the attractcd inorcnicnt oi? the solenoid core, the lover 33 is turned on its pivot, and the counter-weight1 is clevatcd as shown in hen the circuit in opened, the Weighted lorcr rcturns to its normal or horizontal })().lll ()ll,'2ll](l the core 35 is clcvat'cd until arrcstcd by the stop The circuit of tho solcuoid can thcn be again closed to ans'o the slrilt'vr to again strike the hull with which it cooperates.

The apparatus as thus liar dcai-rilaal, is dcsigncd to ho loralod in tha holl'r church or in tho towcr ol an; of building, and the clcctrouiagnrti, a signed to'bc included in an clcctric o l a l l l l l I l hcrcd (it), ('il, 3. U3, ('1 l. (iii wlurh a1 1 ,tl on a rarru r comprising a ot in aulatinn' lllilllllill oh and a ni tal rod t uidon in top and bottom liars of whi h arc accurod to in nlntinn b or *oiccm Tlrarnvinn a plurality ol' la oi tationari h ti)lll l l'li il1 l uintal iulw rtiugg; ironi llc and carrying a \KllPfl 4.

adaplcd to rnn'an'c oint ol' tin,- nna'al or niorahlo conta t nirinhnra, a Spring '1 hold lhn whorl in molding t'fonl'art with 10 said ring, 1L to adji c 'inlaria,

l inn-c (it llu: s rin and a lock It i paid SU'IQW. llht niot'al linbcfi, l. ti nar contact nnanhcra arn I inctal plates or bar: it m'l ml to c.-=t,

a Stfl'ltfi rolation liatwcou lln' mtitltliliilf, tar-l incnilmrs whcn tho u'iovahlc roniart incinbcrs arc in l'hnir cloand position. "the cud platcs on onc of tho insulating bars harc connected with thcui tlu} circuit w TE), Ht), which load to tho clcctroluagncl; g ow ornod by tho particular cirtaii't coutrollrr. ilhr niorahlo carricr l or earh c ant con trollcr is mornd into its; closed position by a lccy lcrcr R1, and is Il'lOVOtl into its own po aitiou by a. spring 82 encircling" the rod (37 bvl'wocn the lower r-nd of tho insulating-1f slcrro and the bottom bar (3.). The closing. inovrninnt oi the inovablc carrier is liinit' d by a satacrcw 83, which is adjustable in a yoke S 1 accurcd to the bottom bar 69 and ia locked in its adjusted position by a, locl; nut 85.

The opcr: tion of the n'mltiplo brr-a'l: circuit controller n'iay be readily understood from the diagran'i in ,5. -22, Whcrcin thc movable contact nicinbors are conventionally Shown. By rcicrcnce to lfiig. at, it Will be scan thatwhcn the movable carrier (57 is morcd, as by the depression of a key of the lmy-hoard, the circuit of the solenoid is coi'z'iplctcd. This circuit may be traccd in Fin. -1- as follows: from the. positive pole of thc battery S6 or other by wire 8? to tho solcnoid 36, lhrongl brcal; circuit UUNilUllOl', and through lattrr in scrioa back to the hattnry; by iii 80. 'ihc innltiplc brcal: circuit cinlroll rcduccs to a inininnnn the snarl; brgtncon t source of current,

movable and stationary members, and renders safe the use of a current of substantial voltage for operating the solenoid.

movement of the contact carrier, a new tooth of .the ratchet wheels engages it, and

on the continued upward movement of the contact carrier, the pawl causes the ratchet wheel and the contact carrier to rotate, thereby bringing a fresh portion of the movable cont-act members into line with the wheels 7 4 of the stationary contact members. As a resultof this construction, the faces of the contact members are maintained in their mostetfective condition for obtaining good electrical connection.

In Figs. 1 and 2, the source of current for the solenoids is shown as a comparatively large number of battery cells 86 'located in a box 95 supported by the framework below the solenoids, but it will be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention to this particular source of current. Provision is also made to further safeguard the apparatus and the building in which it is located from fire, and for this purpose, the wires leading to and from the solenoids are run through metal tubes or pipes 96 extended on opposite sides of the framework parallel with the solenoids, and provided with suitable outlets 97 near the solenoids.

I may prefer to employ the key-board herein shown, but it is not desiredto limit the invention in this respect.

In many instances, it may be desirable to electrically operate bell ringing apparatus which is also operated by hand, and this result may be accomplished as shown in Fig. 5, wherein 98 represents the hand-operated lever. which is connected by the cord or other connection 99 with the striker of the bell. To enable the striker to be operated electrically without disturbing the handoperated mechanism, and yet obtain the quick action of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, the core 35 of the electromagnct 36 is joinedby the, connection 34 with the free end of a lever 100 pivoted at its other end, and provided with a hole 101 through which the striker connection 99 is passed. The free end of the lever 100 is joined by the connection 102 with the counter-balanced lever 33, and the striker connection 99 is provided with a collar or stop 103 on it below the lever 100. lly reference to Fig. 5,

it will be observed, that, when the hand lever 98 is used to pull down the cord or connection 99, the latter passes freely through the lever 100 and the striker is operated by hand. When however, the sole-v noid is energized, the lever 100 is moved, and by means of the collar 103 pulls the cord 99 down, thus operating the striker. At the same time, the counter-balanced lever 33 is moved in the manner above described with reference to Fig. 1. When the solenoid -is deenergized, the counter-balance 44 restores the core 85 to its starting position and lifts the lever 100, thereby allowing the striker to return to its normal or starting position. It will thus be seen, that the handoperated bell ringing mechanism now in use can be readily converted into an electrically operated mechanism at a minimum expense. In Fig. 5, the connection 99 is practically joined to the lever 98 by the nut 105 hearing against the underside of the said lever. The solenoids 36 may be protected from the weather by a hood 106 having suitable openings through which the wires 34: are passed.

I, have herein shown one construction of' .apparatus in which the bells are shown as tubular in form, but it is not desired to limit the invention in this respect. Furthermore,

it is not desired to limit the inventiontto the particular construction of apparatus herein shown.

Claims:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a framework, a plurality of tubular bells suspended from said" framework, a plurality of strikers cooperating with .said bells, solenoids having cores connected with said strikers to operate the same .to strike said bells, means to move said strikers away from said bells, counterbalancing levers for said cores connected therewith to be moved thereby in one direction when the solenoids are energized,.stops to limit'the movement of the cores when the solenoids are deene'gized, and circuit con trollors for said so enoids, substantially-as. described.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, i combination, a framework, a plurality of ells supported by said framework; a plurality of strikers cooperating withsaid bells, solenoids having cores connected with said strikers tooperate the same to strike said bells, springs to mov said strikers away from said bells, counterbalancing levers for said cores connected therewith to be moved thereby, and circuit cont-rollers electrically connected with and governing the action of said solenoids, substantially as described.

3. in an apparatus of the character de:

a plurality of strikers coiiperating there- Willi a plurality of FlOlOl'lOidS lorralcd below said slrikip-i's, 001K.) ful mid solenoi 00w llliCllHUS belumm tilld (1mm :uu l .sziid sl'i'ilc- 01:; m cnnlilo the swim in mow: the strikers into (011M011 will], llm lw'llw when he said cores are filljallflfil l1 substantially llUl'lZUHlzEl Tween said striku-Q uml ]]\.Clf )(l will! billll (1:1 fuzsnlfl and 0011x121 mil strikers worm l m' lmtvvcen [\Hlll (rm'us' .v'OlOllOldS, and I 

